Final Effluent Aeration

Outfall Cascade

The final stage of treating the EFFLUENT(or treated wastewater) is to increase its dissolved oxygen content. This is accomplished by allowing the water to run down over a series of steps and blocks. This agitation is enough to bring the dissolved oxygen content of the water back up to better than 7 mg/l. This insures that plenty of oxygen will be available to fish and other aquatic life.

Muskie Caught at Final Effluent Discharge Point!

For years people in the York area had the impression that the Codorus Creek was "dead". It had been the discharge point for industries and residents since York was founded in the early 1700's. Nothing could survive in that water.

Then in 1972 the Clean Water Act was passed and changes began to occur. The discharge of pollutants were no longer permitted into this stream. This facility, along with several other WWTPs, discharging into the Codorus Creek was upgraded. These modifications did little to change people's minds about the Codorus.

Our last upgrade in 1990 allowed us to clean wastewater to such an extent that our permitted pollutants discharged to this stream were very low. After this construction was completed and the "new" facility went online, one of our computer system consultants began fishing at our final effluent discharge point. Much to everyone's surprise, he caught several small mouth bass. This continued over the next several months until one day nothing was biting. Then the "BIG FISH" hit. Above is a photograph of the 24-inch Muskie. This proved to many skeptics that the Codorus Creek was no longer dead.